Her voice trembles, but she keeps going. “He started getting paranoid after that. I’d hear him whispering on the phone, never using names. He wouldn’t let me leave, barely let me eat. I knew something was wrong.”
She glances up at the guys, then at me. “A few weeks later, this man shows up at the apartment. Jinn was on edge, nervous in a way I’d never seen. I waited until he went down to meet the guy, then I followed him and took a picture.”
She fumbles with her phone, scrolling with shaking fingers, and finally holds it out for us to see. The image is blurry, shot through a window and half-obscured by glare, but there’s no mistaking the scene. Jinn stands beside a tall man, both out of range, and behind them, a dark sedan is parked at the curb.
I know that car. The last time I saw it was at the motel, idling just outside my room. The sight of it fills me with dread.
My voice is barely a breath. “Rodriguez.”
I look up at Marcy, at the guys, at the room suddenly gone still. “Jinn is working with Rodriguez.”
The moment the words leave my mouth, the room explodes. Jace, Levi, and Nico curse under their breath.
“Fuck,” Nico says. “That’s why the guy is so hell-bent on sending us away.”
I suck in a breath. It does make sense. How could I not see through his intentions?
Suddenly I feel dizzy, cold from the inside out. My hands go numb and the room tilts. I slump back against the couch but before I can fall, Jace catches me. His arms are strong around my waist, steadying me, but I can barely breathe.
Marcy is next to me, reaching for my face, worry etched across her bruises. “Carrie, are you okay?”
I want to answer her, to reassure everyone, but nothing comes out. I’m lost in the wave of guilt and betrayal, a thousand moments crashing down at once. I was close to Jinn. I trusted Marcy. I never saw any of it.
Jace answers for me, his voice gentler than I expect. “She’s pregnant. With Jinn’s kid.”
Marcy’s face crumples, eyes wide with pain and regret. “I’m so sorry, Carrie. I’m so, so sorry.”
That breaks whatever was holding me together. I press my hands to my face and sob, everything pouring out—fear, shame, grief, and a longing for a life that’s already slipped away. My sister’s arms close around me, and I let myself fall into her, finally letting the tears come.
All I can think is how I was working with the very man who set out to destroy the men I love. I helped him without even knowing. And I can’t take any of it back.
“It’s all my fault, all my fault. How could I be so blind?”
Levi kneels down beside me, his hand gentle on my shoulder. His voice is quiet but sure. “Carrie, this isn’t your fault. You got us out of there. None of us would even be alive if you hadn’t.”
I lift my head, tears streaking down my cheeks. He squeezes my arm, holding my gaze so I can’t look away. For a moment, the shame in my chest lightens just a little.
Jace stands behind him, a rare softness in his voice. “He’s right. And…I know I never apologized for the way I spoke to you that day in the library. I was angry, and I let my fear get the best of me. You didn’t deserve that.”
Whale moves across the room, peering through the dusty window blinds. “There’s something out there,” he mutters.
Levi straightens, alert. “What is it?”
Whale doesn’t take his eyes off the window. “Cops, maybe. Could be nothing.”
Nico comes up beside them, already tensed. “We can’t ignore it. Even if it’s a false alarm, it’s not safe to wait and see.”
Jace nods, urgency in his voice. “Let’s move. Take Carrie and Marcy out back—use the outbuilding. We can figure out what’s happening from there.”
The others start moving, gathering up whatever they need. Levi turns to me, eyes steady. “Come on, I’ll carry you.”
Heat floods my cheeks. “I can walk. You don’t have to?—”
He just grins and scoops me up like it’s nothing. “I can barely feel you, Carrie. You’re light as air.”
I want to protest, but his arms are warm and solid, and right now I need the comfort more than my pride. I press my face to his shoulder, holding on as we hurry through the back door and into the chill of dusk.
Behind us, Marcy and Jace follow, moving fast and quiet. The air outside smells like cold grass and old smoke. I can feel Levi’s heartbeat against my side, steady and certain.
